Familiar face returns to Liberty Media as F1 makes big calls on future races

Abu Dhabi was F1 2024's last chance saloon, for the constructors' title, and for access to everyone in one place - whether it was the sport and teams for brands or circuits looking for deals, or media wanting to get final interviews banked ahead of a driver "quote drought" set to last until early February 2025.

Chase Carey returns on Liberty Media board

In the offices at Yas Marina, where Chase Carey returned as a Liberty Media board member, new deals were inked with Shanghai (through to 2030) and The Netherlands to keep them on the calendar. But in the case of Zandvoort, it's just for a final year (in 2026) before bowing out.

The Dutch Grand Prix returned to the calendar from 2021, following a 35-year hiatus, on the back of frenzied interest in Max Verstappen’s career, with the event one of just two in the sport to be run solely using private funds - the other being the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. But, the promoters ultimately decided to go out on a high after a solution couldn’t be found (with rumours they were hoping for an alternating deal with Barcelona).

“We are a privately owned and operated business, and we must balance the opportunities presented by continuing to host the event, against other risks and responsibilities,” said Dutch Grand Prix director, Robert van Overdijk.

McLaren lift F1 trophy

Sunday's focus was naturally on Lando Norris' dominant victory at Yas Marina, the first new winner at the UAE track since Valtteri Bottas in 2017, which helped McLaren secure its first World Constructors' Championship since 1998, its ninth overall.

"To end the season like this is perfect, so just congrats and a big thank you to everyone in McLaren, everyone in papaya, everyone who supported us this year because it’s been a tough one. For us to win a constructors’ after 26 years is pretty special," the Brit said.

McLaren's latest constructors' crown comes 50 years since its first, in 1974, when it did the title double with Brazilian icon Emerson Fittipaldi, his second after Lotus in 1972.

“Yeah, it’s incredible to see McLaren where it belongs," he exclusively told Crash.net in São Paulo. "Any big team has a cycle of performance. And that cycle exists in motor racing since 1950 with the Silverstone race. And this cycle, all the good teams, all the good people, they always come back on top. And that’s what McLaren is doing with the leadership from Zak Brown and Andrea Stella. It’s extremely competitive. That’s great news, and I’m very proud.”

Max Verstappen v George Russell row

That decision will no doubt have saddened four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, whose spat with Mercedes' George Russell exploded in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen lost his pole position in Qatar, after it was judged he impeded Russell in qualifying. The Dutchman was handed a one-place grid penalty, and ultimately won the race, but said in the aftermath of Q3 that he'd lost all respect for the Brit after an alleged verbal clash in the stewards room.

Verstappen later called Russell a "backstabber" and a "loser," while GPDA director Russell fired back that he was a bully to stand up to.

"I didn't argue with the stewards but Max wasn't very happy that I didn't support him because he was expecting me to say 'no problem, what Max did was ok' and it wasn't crazy dangerous. And was the penalty harsh? Maybe it was a little harsh. But these are the rules. We all have the rules and we all have to follow them. I would love to go 20 seconds slower on my preparation lap to get my tyres ready, but I didn't," Russell said.

The pair didn't make up at the now-traditional end-of-season F1 drivers' dinner (the rumoured$5000 bill from which was said to have been picked up by outgoing Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas). In the group photo, which popped up like a game of whack-a-mole all over social media, an empty chair was left next to Verstappen - in case the pair wanted to talk, but no dice.

“We had a lot of fun,” said the 27-year-old. “I mean, you can’t talk to everybody at the table.”

Lewis Hamilton bows out at Mercedes

There was plenty going on elsewhere, including the Leclerc brothers (Charles and Arthur) making history on-track, as the first to be teammates in an official session as part of a championship race weekend. But, all of that was in shadow of Lewis Hamilton's final race as a Mercedes driver - before heading off to Ferrari next year.

The three-pointed star has powered all of his 356 F1 starts, but its at the works squad where he’s earned six of his seven titles, 84 of his 105 wins, 78 of his 104 poles, and 55 of his 67 fastest laps.  And the emotion poured out on the cool down lap over the team radio.

"What started out as a leap of faith turned into a journey into the history books. We did everything together and I'm so, so grateful to everyone. I love you guys, I really, really do," said Hamilton. The reply from Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff was even sweeter: "We love you too and you're always going to be part of that family, and if we can't win you should win."